Since it reopened in June, the reborn Ruggles Mine is proving a hit with rock-hounds and campers – “I’ve got 26 cars in the parking lot and it has been misty or rainy all day,” said owner Joe Bodge. But there’s one proviso: leave the rock hammer at home.
“There’s no hammering or chiseling,” said Bodge concerning the one big change from Ruggles Mine operations in years past. The reason, he says, is both to trim insurance costs and because the walls of the mine “slowly have been degraded after people hammering in them.”
“Most people are hammering at the same height – walls give away. It costs too much to scale, trim off rocks that loosen,” he said.
On the other hand, Ruggles visitors can now do something they couldn’t always do before: dig through the material put aside when it was a working mine, known as tailings, to see what they can find. “We opened an area that had never been opened to the public before,” said Bodge.
The mine atop Isinglass Mountain in Grafton dates back to 1803, when it became the first commercial mica mine in the country. After the mine closed it became a tourist attraction in 1961, luring generations of geology fans until it shut in 2016. The 235-acre property was sold in 2019 to a group that never opened it, then sold to Bodge and a partner in 2023. Bodge is now the sole owner and operates it with his wife, Dorene.
Bodge says he has no background as a working geologist but became a “rock hound” later in life. “I bought this place for the love of the rocks.” He also owns the mineral rights to a former working mine in New Mexico, where he collects “fluorite, petrified wood, dendrite” and other items used to make jewelry.
A big part of Ruggles Mine’s attraction is camping, albeit of a basic kind. Bodge provides a fire ring and a portable toilet but that’s it – no RV hookup and bring your own supplies. There’s a small gift shop. He does a guided walk after the sun goes down: “Luminescent materials show up a lot better at night!”
“We’ve been pushing a couple hundred people a day, every day we’re open,” Bodge said in a recent interview, ticking off visitors. “This Saturday we’ve got about 20 coming up. Next weekend there’s a Girl Scout troop coming up, plus a party of 8, 2 parties of 6 …”
So far the site occupies about 30 acres. He’s logging some of the rest and has plans for an off-roading course and more formal campground with “actual bathrooms, running water.”
As for location, getting up Isinglass Hill isn’t as tough as some say. Bodge notes that a Miata Club recently held a meeting at the Ruggles Mine, arriving in 15 of the low-slung Japanese sports cars. “If they can make it up the hill, everybody can!”
Mining costs $30 a person, which lets you fill a 5-gallon bucket with minerals, with kids under 10 free. Camping is $10 per person per night.
For more information, see www.rugglesmine.net.
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| Id | obj57017336 |
| Publication | GLOSSY |
| Publication Date | 9/15/2024 |
| Source | GN4:da505b05-1f64-484b-8bb0-a243069819a8 |
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| Credit |
Components
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-001 |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-002 |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-002C |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-002B_Original |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-003B |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-002A |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-003A |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-003C |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-003 |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-007 |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-003D |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-009 |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-008 |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-004 |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-010 |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-005 |
rugglesmine-cm-080924-gf-006 |
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09/15/2024 CM-AC A24 Title: GLOSSY |
09/15/2024 CM-AC A26 Title: GLOSSY |
09/15/2024 CM-AC A27 Title: GLOSSY |
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obj57017336
Since it reopened in June, the reborn Ruggles Mine is proving a hit with rock-hounds and campers – “I’ve got 26 cars in the parking lot and it has been misty or rainy all day,” said owner Joe Bodge. But there’s one proviso: leave the rock hammer at home.
“There’s no hammering or chiseling,” said Bodge concerning the one big change from Ruggles Mine operations in years past. The reason, he says, is both to trim insurance costs and because the walls of the mine “slowly have been degraded after people hammering in them.”
“Most people are hammering at the same height – walls give away. It costs too much to scale, trim off rocks that loosen,” he said.
On the other hand, Ruggles visitors can now do something they couldn’t always do before: dig through the material put aside when it was a working mine, known as tailings, to see what they can find. “We opened an area that had never been opened to the public before,” said Bodge.
The mine atop Isinglass Mountain in Grafton dates back to 1803, when it became the first commercial mica mine in the country. After the mine closed it became a tourist attraction in 1961, luring generations of geology fans until it shut in 2016. The 235-acre property was sold in 2019 to a group that never opened it, then sold to Bodge and a partner in 2023. Bodge is now the sole owner and operates it with his wife, Dorene.
Bodge says he has no background as a working geologist but became a “rock hound” later in life. “I bought this place for the love of the rocks.” He also owns the mineral rights to a former working mine in New Mexico, where he collects “fluorite, petrified wood, dendrite” and other items used to make jewelry.
A big part of Ruggles Mine’s attraction is camping, albeit of a basic kind. Bodge provides a fire ring and a portable toilet but that’s it – no RV hookup and bring your own supplies. There’s a small gift shop. He does a guided walk after the sun goes down: “Luminescent materials show up a lot better at night!”
“We’ve been pushing a couple hundred people a day, every day we’re open,” Bodge said in a recent interview, ticking off visitors. “This Saturday we’ve got about 20 coming up. Next weekend there’s a Girl Scout troop coming up, plus a party of 8, 2 parties of 6 …”
So far the site occupies about 30 acres. He’s logging some of the rest and has plans for an off-roading course and more formal campground with “actual bathrooms, running water.”
As for location, getting up Isinglass Hill isn’t as tough as some say. Bodge notes that a Miata Club recently held a meeting at the Ruggles Mine, arriving in 15 of the low-slung Japanese sports cars. “If they can make it up the hill, everybody can!”
Mining costs $30 a person, which lets you fill a 5-gallon bucket with minerals, with kids under 10 free. Camping is $10 per person per night.
For more information, see www.rugglesmine.net.